Chow Mein Special at the Golden Panda Restaurant
by AlElizabeth
Summary: One-shot written in response to a prompt from Lisa Boon. When Sam suddenly become ill after eating at a restaurant, he believes its nothing serious, but the Winchesters soon discover just how grave the situation can quickly become.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**Fanfic comes from a prompt by Lisa Boon who wanted to see Sam with appendicitis. Set any season.**

**The idea for this fanfic came from the story of my father's first time trying Chinese food and getting appendicitis the same night when he was a young man. **

"I don't know, Dean," Sam said uncertainly, peering out the window of the Impala at the tiny, dirty-looking Chinese restaurant that was almost hidden by the buildings on either side of it as it squatted between them.

"It's the only place open," Dean argued, his stomach growling loudly to emphasize his point, "And I'm starving."

Sam twisted in his seat to peer down the street; his brother was right, all the other restaurants were closed and dark, empty this time of the night.

"Fine," he muttered, "Whatever."

Dean looked at him as he found a parking spot across the street from the Chinese place.

"Don't tell me you're not hungry," he said.

Sam shrugged. He _was _hungry, that wasn't the problem, he was just too tired to care about eating anything. All he really wanted to do was check into a motel room and sleep away the rest of the night's hours.

Once the Impala was parked, Sam climbed out of the passenger's seat and followed Dean across the road to the 'Golden Panda' restaurant. The front windows were smeary with dirt from the outside and grease from the inside, a flashing red neon sign on the door announced that it was 'OPEN'.

Stepping into the Golden Panda, Sam glanced around. The floor was covered in an old carpet, black with a white lily design that had faded almost completely to grey in places that suffered the most foot-traffic. There was no hostess' podium so the Winchesters seated themselves.

Sam slid into the booth across from his brother, grimacing at the ripped red vinyl on the seat and scarred, faux-wooden table decorated with graffiti. The lights overhead had been covered with orange Chinese lanterns, coated with dust from not being cleaned in ages.

The air inside had a distinct smell of burnt grease and body odor. The Winchesters, surprisingly, were not the only patrons of the Golden Panda. Sam caught sight of two men sitting at the bar close to the entrance, sucking back beers, and a couple of teenagers of Chinese decent laughing and chatting over a bowl of steaming soup.

"See, this place isn't terrible," Dean spoke up, making Sam jump a little.

"I guess," Sam admitted; he knew he should be glad that even this place was open. If it had been closed, Sam was certain he'd have been forced to listen to Dean complain about how hungry he was for the rest of the night.

The younger Winchester looked up when a waitress appeared. She looked to be in her early twenties and although she was wearing blue jeans and a Hello Kitty t-shirt, she wore a nametag, announcing to anyone who may have been confused that she did, in fact, work at the Golden Panda. She handed out a couple of laminated menus to the brothers before she spoke.

"Can I start you off with drinks?" she asked, her voice accented.

"Two beers?" Dean asked and caught Sam's eye.

The younger man nodded, agreeing with the order, and sat back, picking up his menu.

Sam scowled at the feeling of dirty laminate beneath his fingers and resisted the urge to wipe his hands off on his jeans.

He skimmed over the items on the menu, not really paying much attention to the choices. Closing the menu, Sam saw that there was a section for 'specials' on the back cover, the same variety as those inside the menu but for much cheaper.

The young man glanced up and thanked the waitress as she returned with the beers.

"Are you ready?" she asked and Dean nodded, closing his menu.

"Can I get the sweet and sour pork, Kung Pao chicken and fried rice?" Dean asked and the waitress nodded, writing his order on a notepad.

"Uh…" Sam hesitated, "I'll just get the Chow Mein special."

The waitress nodded and took their menus, smiling at Dean before turning away.

"You think I could get her number?" Sam's brother asked and the younger sibling frowned at him.

"We're not going to be here long enough, Dean," Sam reminded him; they were only passing through.

"I know," Dean shrugged, taking a gulp of beer before continuing, "But I bet I can get her to give me her number."

Sam raised an eyebrow at his brother and took a drink of his own beer.

The brothers grew silent; Sam stared out the window beside the booth, peering at the darkened sidewalk outside while Dean sat across from him, probably fantasizing about their waitress.

_W_

"Here you go," the young woman's voice startled Sam and he turned to her, her arms heavy with plates of steaming food.

"Fried rice, sweet and sour pork…" She said as she sat the plates down in front of Dean, "And Kung Pao chicken."

"Looks delicious, Sweetheart," the older Winchester complimented, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Chow Mein special," the waitress announced and sat Sam's food in front of him.

Now that the meal was sitting in front of him, Sam's stomach did growl.

"Thanks," he said and the waitress nodded.

"Would you like more beer?" she asked and Dean nodded, already stuffing chunks of pork into his mouth, the orange-red sauce staining his lips.

The young woman smiled and left the brothers to eat in peace.

Sam grabbed his napkin-wrapped silverware, pausing to stare at the slightly water-stained utensils before digging his fork into the brown mound of noodles.

"This is so good!" Dean exclaimed heartily and Sam chuckled at his brother's enthusiasm.

Sam ate slowly, methodically, chewing the shrimp in the Chow Mein experimentally before deciding that they were alright, if a little bit like sawdust. The sticky brown sauce and chopped vegetables completed the Chow Mein, a staple in many Chinese restaurants.

_W_

"Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked the Winchesters.

Dean shook his head, looking content and satisfied.

"Just the bill, Sweetheart," he told her with a charming smile and she nodded.

"See Sammy," Dean said once the young woman had gone to get the check, "I told you this place would have good food."

Sam scowled, "You didn't say that, Dean. It was the only restaurant open and _you were starving._"

Dean shrugged, "Still, it had good food, yeah?"

Sam nodded and finished the last of his beer.

The waitress returned one last time, setting the bill down, along with a small folded piece of paper. Before Sam could raise a hand, Dean had slapped his palm over the bill and the mysterious slip of paper and dug his wallet out with the other.

"Told you," Dean smirked as he paid for the food- adding a generous tip- and unfolded the piece of paper to reveal a telephone number written in pink ink.

Sam shook his head; of course Dean would be able to get a girl's number just by calling her some cute names and smiling at her.

"Let's go, Dean," he said and stood, frowning as a sudden pain flared in his abdomen, just above his bellybutton, "I'm beat."

Sam followed his brother as Dean went ahead of him. Now that his stomach was full, Dean was eager to find a motel room for the night. Sam walked gingerly for a few paces but the odd pain in his belly did not return and he shrugged it off; he usually had some ache or pain from an old hunt and didn't worry about it too much.

_W_

"Maybe all the motels are closed," Sam suggested as they drove slowly down the street, eyes keen for the familiar 'vacancy' sign that would tell them there was a place for them to stay.

Sam wondered if the town even _had _a motel- he hadn't seen one on the way in- and if he and Dean would have to sleep in the Impala. Not that they hadn't done so before, but it wouldn't be his first choice. The classic Chevy, despite being a great car that had seen them through many a trial and tribulation, just wasn't designed to be slept in, especially someone of Sam's stature. Whenever the brothers were forced to stay in the car for the night, Dean would insist Sam take the backseat, that way he could at least stretch out a little bit. Unfortunately, even the Impala's bench seat wasn't the same as a motel bed and Sam always ended up with a sore back and leg cramps the next day.

Sam startled when Dean braked suddenly and he peered around, catching sight of a motel hulking along the edge of the road. Its 'vacancy' sign was flickering weakly, apparently on the verge of going out completely, but the parking lot didn't look busy.

"Oh, I am just _too _good," Dean crowed and Sam snorted derisively.

Pulling into the parking lot, Dean stopped the Impala in front of a set of doors marked 'office' with a piece of lined notebook paper taped to the inside of one of the panes of glass.

"I'll be right back," Dean assured his brother and exited the vehicle.

Sam watched his sibling step into the office and approach a tall desk made of honey-colour wood. From what Sam could see of the office area, the motel was old and not well maintained, just like everything else in this town it seemed.

Sam knew he shouldn't be picky- Dean certainly wasn't- and at the moment decided he didn't care about where they stayed for the night as long as it was out of the elements.

Raising his hands above his head, palms flat against the roof of the car, Sam stretched, sucking in a sharp breath when pain flared in his stomach again. Lowering his arms, Sam frowned and grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it up to peer at his belly. In the dim light reaching into the car from the office, Sam couldn't see anything that would be causing him pain- no bruises or bumps- and settled his shirt back into place. Maybe he had pulled a muscle during the last hunt he and Dean had been on and hadn't noticed until now.

Yeah, that was it, Sam decided, that ghost _had _tossed him around a bit before Dean could take care of it.

The driver's side door opened and Dean climbed back into the vehicle.

"We're in?" Sam asked although he knew the answer.

"We're in," Dean confirmed and drove around to the side of the motel towards their room.

The Impala parked in its designated spot, the brothers exited and grabbed their duffels from the trunk.

Dean reached the door first, coated in flaking beige paint, it didn't look too welcoming but that barely mattered to the brothers. Unlocking the door, Dean peered inside as though he expected a vampire or werewolf to jump out at him, before motioning to Sam that it was safe to enter.

The younger brother stepped into the room gratefully as Dean moved forward to turn on the lights. Two single beds sat side by side, separated by a wooden nightstand.

Dean dropped his duffel on the bed closest to the door, unzipped it to grab some clothes to sleep in and disappeared into the bathroom. Sam sat down on the bed beside the wall and sighed, kicking off his shoes and pushing them off the end of the bed with his feet.

He was exhausted and only wanted to sleep. Deciding to lay down as he waited for his brother to finish up in the bathroom, Sam rested on his back on the bed and closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep.

_SPN_

Dean exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam, smiling at the sight of his brother snoring lightly on his bed.

Instead of waking Sam up, he stuffed his dirty clothes into his duffel bag and turned out the light, climbing into his own bed closing his eyes for a good night's rest.

_W_

Dean's eyes snapped open and he sat up.

Something was wrong.

Glancing instantly to his left to check on his brother, Dean saw that Sam's bed was empty and that the bathroom door was ajar, a sliver of white light shining out into the room.

For a moment Dean didn't move, thinking that maybe he'd been mistaken and that his brother was simply using the facilities.

A choked-off retching suddenly sounded from the bathroom and Dean knew Sam was in trouble. Jumping from the bed, he rushed to the door and pushed it open, seeing Sam on his knees, hair hanging in his face and hands wrapped around the toilet bowl.

"Sammy," Dean said and stepped into the small room, leaving the door open as he did so.

His brother lifted his head, his face sweat-streaked, two red spots standing out high up on his cheeks.

"M'okay," Sam muttered before quickly turning back to the toilet and dry heaving into it.

"No, you're not," Dean said and grabbed a wash cloth off the shelf across from the sink, "You're sick."

"Just… I think the shrimp from… from that restaurant were bad," Sam explained tiredly.

Dean turned to the sink and ran cold water over the cloth, squeezing it out before crouching down beside his brother.

"C'mere," he murmured and Sam turned to look at him again.

The older Winchester reached out with his free hand and brushed his sibling's sweaty bangs from his brow before wiping his face with the cool washcloth.

Sam closed his eyes as Dean cleaned the sweat from his face, missing the concerned expression his sibling was wearing.

Dean raised his hand and pressed his palm to his brother's forehead, his frown growing.

"You're burning up," he muttered, "C'mon, you should lie back down. I'll get you some Tylenol."

Sam opened his eyes and Dean saw that they were glassy from fever. Reaching out to grab the edge of the counter, Sam began to pull himself up but gave a sharp cry of pain, doubling over before he could get to his feet properly.

"Sammy!" Dean exclaimed and reached for his brother, holding him beneath the armpits.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"M-my stomach…" Sam ground out and slowly straightened to his full height.

Dean's lips pulled down in a deep frown; "Let me see."

Before Sam could protest, Dean pulled his sibling's shirt up and although there was no mark- no bruise or wound- on his brother's abdomen, he did notice that it appeared swollen.

Lifting his hand, Dean gently touched his brother's belly, causing Sam to flinch away from him, whimpering in pain.

Shit, Dean thought, this isn't right. This isn't right at all.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Dean informed his sibling and Sam looked up at him with wide eyes.

"No," Sam argued weakly, shaking, but Dean shook his head.

"You're really sick, Sam," Dean explained, "And I'd feel a hell of a lot better if we had a doctor check you out."

It might be nothing, Dean reasoned, it may just be food poisoning, but he wasn't willing to take that chance when it came to his brother's health. Besides, a part of him felt certain that this was more than just salmonella.

Latching onto Sam's shirtsleeve, Dean dragged him from the bathroom.

"Get your shoes," Dean instructed as he put his own on.

Sam braced himself with one hand on the edge of his bed while he bent down slowly at the waist, grimacing in pain as he did so.

"Can't…" Sam panted and Dean picked up his brother's shoes for him.

"We'll put them on later," he assured his younger sibling and grabbed the car keys from the pocket of his leather jacket.

_W_

"We're here, Sammy," Dean said and turned to peer at his brother who was lying in the Impala's backseat, the white lights of the hospital casting shadows across his face.

"Hm," Sam muttered and Dean opened his door and stepped out.

Walking around and pulling open the passenger door, Dean held onto both of Sam's wrists and carefully helped him into a seating position, cringing every time his brother whimpered or drew in a sharp breath in pain.

Wrapping a protective- and comforting- arm around Sam's shoulders, Dean led his brother into the hospital.

Like everything else in the town, the hospital was old and decrepit; Dean certain it had been built in the nineteen-fifties and received no renovations at all, not even a fresh coat of paint to brighten it up.

The nurse at the reception desk, an elderly woman with bifocals and steel-grey hair, looked up sharply, startled at the sight of the Winchesters slowly making their way towards her.

"My brother," Dean grunted as Sam leaned heavily against him, "He's really sick. He needs help."

The nurse looked past the hunters, towards the scuffed and scratched blue double doors that led deeper into the hospital.

"Dr. Timmons," she called and Dean peered behind himself, spying a doctor who looked as old as the nurse, step out from the double doors, "This young man is in trouble."

The older Winchester peered down at Sam's face; his cheeks and chin and brow were beaded with sweat, his bangs plastered to his forehead, his skin pale but for two red spots high on his cheekbones. Twin green eyes, shiny as glass, stared out from sunken sockets. Sam shivered beneath Dean's arm as though he was chilled.

"What's the matter?" Dr. Timmons asked, approaching the brothers.

"My brother's been puking," Dean explained, "I don't know how long… and his stomach's hurting."

The doctor nodded and motioned for the brothers to sit down in the ancient waiting room chairs.

"It might be food poisoning," Dean continued lamely as he guided Sam to the chairs, helping him sit- not missing the grunt of pain his sibling made as he collapsed onto the chair- and stared askance at the elderly doctor.

Dr. Timmons nodded to himself, speaking quietly as he did so, "Stomach… Fever…Vomiting…"

Raising a hand, the doctor looked to Dean, "May I?"

Carefully, Dr. Timmons lifted Sam's shirt and frowned; Dean could see Sam's stomach was distended although there was still no mark to be seen.

With one finger gnarled with arthritis, the doctor prodded Sam's belly, causing the hunter to writhe in pain and yowl like a scalded cat. Dean grabbed his brother to keep him from falling out of his seat and stared up at the doctor, his heart hammering fearfully; something was clearly very wrong.

Turning to the nurse, Dr. Timmons spoke urgently, "This boy's appendix is about to burst! I need to get him into surgery right now!"

The woman didn't even bother acknowledging the doctor before she rushed back to her desk and spoke into the phone, calling any available nurses to the Emergency Room.

_W_

A flurry of activity tore Dean's brother away from him, ushering Sam through those old double doors and into a waiting operating room.

Within moments of the nurse's call for reinforcements, Dean was left standing alone. Sighing, he raised a hand and raked his fingers through his short-cropped hair.

Appendix… It was Sam's appendix. Near ready to burst.

Dean closed his eyes, thankful that he had decided to take his brother to the hospital and not put him back to bed, thinking it was just a stomach bug. If he had…

"Young man?"

The hunter turned to see the senior nurse standing behind her desk, holding a clipboard and a stack of forms out to him.

"Oh, yeah, yeah," Dean muttered and took the clipboard from the nurse, accepting a pen from her as well.

Moving to the row of plastic chairs, Dean dropped into one of the seats and began the familiar, mundane task of filling out Sam's medical information.

_W_

"Family of Samuel Windsor?"

Dean looked up towards the double doors at the sound of the pseudonym he had picked out for himself and his brother three hours after bringing his sibling into the hospital.

Dr. Timmons stood in the doorway, a pleased expression on his face.

Standing, Dean went right to the doctor, questioning him before he even stopped moving.

"Is Sammy okay? Was it really his appendix?"

The elderly doctor nodded, "Your brother is fine. Right now he's recovering from the anesthesia and should be awake very soon. Yes, it was his appendix and it's a damn good thing you got him to me when you did; I'd say it was minutes away from rupturing."

Dean sagged with relief.

"Can I see him now?"

Dr. Timmons nodded, "Follow me."

This time Dean was allowed to follow the man through the double doors, past patients' rooms and towards the post-op area of the hospital.

"Once your brother's awake I'll have him moved to a different room," Dr. Timmons explained to Dean as they headed down the corridor. The floors were made up of lime green tile, faded in the center from shoes and gurney and wheelchair wheels. The walls were a drab cream colour; typical hospital décor.

"Sam will have to wait about twelve hours before he can get up and move around," the doctor continued, "He'll have to use the bathroom to make sure that both the anesthesia has worn off and that there are no complications from the surgery."

Dean nodded as the man spoke, kind of tuning him out because he was more concerned with getting to his brother.

"Your brother will have to take it easy for the next two to three weeks," Dr. Timmons said, "To prevent him from damaging the healing incision. But you'll need to go to a hospital immediately if he starts to experience any vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, or fever."

Dean cringed at the idea of Sam being laid off for a few weeks but he nodded and told the doctor he would make sure his brother did as the man advised.

They finally paused in front of a beige door the same colour as the walls surrounding it and Dean peered through the small, square window reinforced with wire at the half dozen beds inside the room.

Only one bed was occupied, Sam's, and Dean rushed right to his brother's side as Dr. Timmons opened the door.

"Sammy," the older brother murmured, "Hey, Sammy."

The younger sibling remained asleep, his face pale and his eyes a little sunken but Dean knew it was because of the fever and surgery he'd just received.

"Your brother is getting antibiotics to prevent infection and an antipyretic to help bring his fever down," Dr. Timmons explained, indicating the IV pole standing beside Sam's bed that held two separate bags of fluids.

"Thanks, Doc," Dean murmured without taking his eyes off his brother.

"A nurse will come in shortly to check on you," the old doctor told Dean and left the room, closing the door after himself.

Dean pulled up a wheeled stool that had been set aside for nurses and reached out to take his brother's hand.

"Sam," he murmured and ran his thumb across his sibling's knuckles, "I'm right here."

Although his brother was still unconscious; it made Dean feel better to talk to him, assuring Sam he wasn't alone.

The hunter couldn't believe how quickly the evening had gone from being boring and uneventful to frightening so quickly… and there hadn't even been anything supernatural involved!

Dean shook his head; could they ever have a nice, normal, dull day?

He guessed not.

Even so, he wouldn't change it for anything, as long as Sam was by his side.

**Author's Note:**

**Please take a moment and leave a review. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**I felt like writing a bit more about Sam's recovery from appendicitis. Hope you all enjoy it!**

Dean just wanted his brother to wake up.

He knew it may take some time for the anesthesia to wear off enough for Sam to wake, but the older Winchester couldn't help but be impatient.

The hunter looked up at the sound of the door opening and saw a young woman wearing green scrubs entering.

"Hi," the nurse greeted, "I'm Natasha."

"Dean," the hunter replied before turning his attention back to his brother.

As though she knew exactly what Dean was thinking, Natasha spoke from behind him, "Don't worry, the anesthesia affects everyone differently, I'm sure he'll wake up very soon."

Dean nodded and continued rubbing Sam's knuckles with his thumb. He was no stranger to waiting around in hospital rooms for with his brother but he always worried until he saw his sibling's expressive green eyes open once again.

"C'mon Sammy," Dean murmured tiredly, "Haven't you slept long enough?"

There was no response and the older Winchester sighed, he guessed Sam was going to take his sweet, old time coming back to the world of the living.

Standing up and stretching, Dean glanced around the room, wondering if there was a magazine or something nearby that he could read to occupy himself until Sam woke up.

Just as he was heading towards the window at the far end of the room, Dean paused when he heard Sam groan quietly.

"Nnn D'n?"

Within seconds the hunter was at his brother's side, hand reaching out for Sam's.

"Hey," Dean smiled, "Welcome back."

Sam groaned again and his eyes slid open halfway, their green depths dark and slightly wet.

"D-D'n?"

"I'm right here," Dean assured him and rubbed his brother's knuckles.

Sam's eyes opened incrementally wider and rolled in their sockets as he took in the room around him.

"Wh-Where'm I?"

Dean smiled patiently, knowing that his brother was still groggy and fuzzyheaded from the anesthesia.

"The hospital, remember, Sammy? You were puking your guts out in the motel room so I brought you in."

"M'okay?" he asked thickly, his voice tinged with worry.

"Yeah, you're fine now," Dean assured him, "Lay back and rest a bit, let yourself wake up a minute."

Sam did as Dean suggested and closed his eyes again. He still looked peaky, in Dean's opinion, his damp hair sticking to his brow and he still had those red spots on his cheeks but Dean was certain they would pass in time as the fever broke.

Reaching out casually, the older Winchester pressed the red call button hanging beside his brother's bed, alerting the nurse that she was needed.

Natasha appeared within moments. Standing in the doorway, she looked between the two brothers.

"Yes? Do you need anything?"

"Sammy's awake," Dean told her, smiling.

As if on cue, his brother opened his eyes and Natasha nodded, "I'll let Dr. Timmons know."

Dean nodded and turned back to his brother.

"W-Water," Sam said, his eyes big as saucers, telling Dean he was still out of it.

"Okay, Sammy," the older Winchester replied, "Just wait until the doctor gets here and then I'll get you something to drink."

Sam nodded, gaze travelling around the room again, the fingers of his right hand reaching out as though of their own accord to touch the double IV lines trailing from his left hand.

Dean looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and smiled as elderly Dr. Timmons entered the room, followed by Natasha.

"Hello Sam," the doctor said as he stepped up beside the bed, "How are you feeling"

"He's still a bit groggy," Dean told Dr. Timmons as Sam's gaze fell on the old man.

"Tired… Thirsty…" Sam replied and the doctor nodded.

"I'm going to check your blood pressure," Dr. Timmons told the young man and reached out to take the blood pressure cuff from where it hung on the wall beside the bed. Dean watched as the senior doctor pushed up the sleeve of Sam's hospital gown and wrapped the blue cuff around his brother's upper arm, using one hand to squeeze the black rubber bulb while the other pressed the end of his stethoscope to the inside of Sam's elbow.

After a minute or so of looking pensive, Dr. Timmons removed the blood pressure cuff from Sam's arm and replaced it on the wall.

"Blood pressure is 110/78," Dr. Timmons told Natasha and the nurse nodded, writing the number down on Sam's chart.

"Natasha, call a couple of nurses from the ward to come down and collect Mr. Winchester," the old doctor instructed, moving away from the bed.

"Right away, Doctor," Natasha said and left the room.

"The nurses upstairs will take care of your brother," Dr. Timmons told Dean, "If you need anything, just ask them."

The hunter nodded and watched the old man shuffle out of the room.

Turning his attention back to his brother, Dean brushed Sam's bangs away from his brow, pressing his palm to his sibling's forehead as he did so.

"De'n," Sam muttered, his tone irritated.

"Sorry Sammy," Dean smiled, "Force of habit."

Both Winchesters looked up as Natasha re-entered the room, "A couple of nurses will be here in a few minutes to take you upstairs."

Dean nodded and thanked the young woman.

"Can we get some water?" he asked, "My brother's thirsty."

Natasha nodded and left the room once more. Dean leaned back on the stool, feet planted flat against the floor to prevent himself from rolling away, and stretched with his arms over his head.

Sam, watching his brother, tried to emulate the action, only to curl in on himself, gasping in pain.

"Shit!" Dean swore and reached for his brother, pulling him up, trying to peer into his sibling's face.

"Are you alright?" Dean asked, "Sam, you can't do that, the stitches-"

Sam though was nodding, his eyes red-rimmed, his face pale. Again, Dean placed his palm to his brother's brow and frowned at how warm his sibling's skin still felt.

Turning in his seat as the nurse appeared again, holding a plastic water pitcher and matching cup, Dean spoke to her, "Sammy's still pretty warm… is that normal?"

Setting the cup and pitcher aside, Natasha took a plastic-wrapped and sterile thermometer from the nurses' desk and approached the bed.

"Open your mouth," Natasha instructed- Sam did so- and placed the end of thermometer in the patient's mouth, beneath his tongue.

Dean waited anxiously as Natasha watched the red line inside the thermometer rise.

After carefully pulling the thermometer out of Sam's mouth, Natasha looked at it for a moment.

"Hm," she murmured and Dean's heart skipped a beat.

"What's wrong?"

"Your brother's temperature is still a bit high," Natasha told him, "But that's nothing to worry about. With the antipyretic the fever should go down soon."

Dean nodded, glancing at his brother from the corner of his eye.

Twin sets of footsteps announced the arrival of the two nurses who were to bring Sam upstairs. They both greeted the Winchesters in a friendly manner before getting to work. Dean stood aside as the two women prepared to take Sam upstairs; one unlocking the brakes from the bed and the other taking hold of the IV pole.

While one nurse walked at the head of the bed, pushing it forward, the other stood on Sam's left side, guiding the wheeled IV stand and Dean took position on his sibling's right.

They walked down the far end of the hallway, towards the elevators, the nurse holding Sam's IV pushing the red upward-facing arrow button. Dean squeezed into the open lift, standing between Sam's bed and the back wall of the elevator. Both nurses waited patiently for the doors to close, looking as though this was the most exciting thing to happen to them this evening.

One woman was a paunchy-middle aged lady with sandy-coloured hair and faded blue eyes; she wore plum scrubs while her partner was many years younger, with platinum blonde hair and grey eyes. The younger nurse had dressed herself in sky blue scrubs.

The blonde nurse caught Dean's eye and smiled at him, showing off a row of straight, bleached-white teeth. The hunter, not in the mood to hit on his brother's nurse, gave her a polite smile before looking away.

The elevator ceased its ascent and the doors opened to reveal a corridor that looked pretty much like the hallway they had just left except for the fact that the tiled floor was now blue instead of green.

The two nurses guided the bulky hospital bed out of the elevator with practiced ease, Dean following along, eyes glued to his brother.

_W_

The hunter let out a sigh of relief once Sam was settled into his new room.

Before they had left, Dean had asked the nurses if he could have some water for his brother. The pretty blonde nurse had nodded and brought in a plastic pitcher and cup that looked exactly like the ones Natasha had.

Taking the cup and pitcher gratefully, Dean poured his brother a generous amount of water, which Sam gulped down greedily, smacking his lips once he'd had his fill.

Now Sam's thirst was slaked, he was a bit more lucid.

"What happened?" he asked, "Why am I in the hospital?"

"What do you remember?" Dean asked and he realized that was the wrong thing to say because Sam's eyes widened.

"I… I don't know… that Chinese place… but-"

Dean held his hands up, "Whoa, whoa, its okay, Sammy, its okay. Sorry. You were really sick earlier… throwing up… and I brought you into the hospital 'cause you were spiking a fever as well and your stomach was all swollen, too. You thought it was food poisoning."

Sam frowned, "What's wrong with me?"

Dean shook his head, "Nothing… anymore. It was your appendix."

Sam looked up at him, his eyes still wide but not longer panicked. Raising his hands, the younger brother pushed the blanket down and grabbed the hem of his hospital gown, dragging it up to reveal his abdomen wrapped in clean, white bandages to cover the four-inch long incision the doctor had made in order to removed the infected organ.

"How're you feeling?" Dean asked once Sam had shoved the gown back down.

"Tired… Sore…" Sam muttered, blinking his eyes, "Crappy."

Dean nodded, "Why don't you try and get some rest, Natasha- one of the nurses- said you still have a bit of a fever."

Sam closed his eyes, let out a long breath and appeared to fall asleep within seconds.

Once Dean was certain his brother was fast asleep and unlikely to wake up, he stood and stretched, deciding that he could use a cup of coffee.

The hunter quietly left the room, silently telling his brother he'd be back soon, and went in search of a cafeteria- or whatever passed for one in this tiny hospital.

_SPN_

Sam peeled his sticky eyelids open, his eyes feeling itchy and gritty. Bright white light sliced into his eyeballs, making him groan in pain and he raised an arm to hide from the intrusion.

"D'n," Sam grunted, his mouth as dry as sandpaper, his brain feeling as though it had been replaced with cotton.

The young man waited for a response from his sibling but none came.

"D-D'n?" Sam called again, his heart beginning to pick up speed.

Where was his brother?

Lowering his arm from his face, Sam opened his eyes a crack, trying to catch sight of his sibling.

Dean wasn't there. Dean was gone. Sam was all alone.

Heart pounding like a jackhammer, the younger Winchester struggled to sit up, gasping at the pain that flared up in his abdomen as he moved.

"D'n!" Sam called out loudly, confused and scared.

Where was Dean? Where was _he_? Why did his stomach hurt?

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

Sam froze at the sound of a familiar voice and almost let out a sob of relief when he felt his brother's strong, calloused hand grip his shoulder.

"Sammy," Dean's voice murmured, "It's okay, dude. You're okay."

"Where-" Sam began and flinched when he felt Dean press a rough palm to his brow.

"Damn it," Dean swore, brushing his bangs away from his forehead.

"Is something the matter?" a strange female voice asked from some distance away and Sam struggled to open his eyes that didn't want to cooperate.

"His fever's worse," Dean's voice announced, edged with concern and Sam heard the woman tsk before speaking again.

"I'll tell Dr. Timmons right away," she said and Sam leaned back as her footsteps faded.

"Sam," Dean's voice said and the young man felt a hand on his arm again, "Sammy, hey, can you open your eyes for me?"

Slowly Sam did as his brother asked, prying the gunky lids apart to peer blearily at his sibling. Dean's face hovered close to his, mouth pulled down and eyes narrowed in concern.

"D'n," Sam muttered and shivered, a chill suddenly passing through him.

Dean rubbed Sam's arm comfortingly.

"Don't worry," he soothed, "Dr. Timmons will be here in a couple of minutes."

In the distance, Sam could hear approaching footsteps and he whimpered, suddenly afraid though he wasn't sure why. He just felt so bad and wanted Dean to make him feel better, not some stranger.

"Get me a thermometer!" Sam heard a reedy male voice bark and he rolled his eyes up to his brother's face, seeking security.

"It's just the doctor, Sammy," Dean told him, reassuringly.

Sam stared wide-eyed as an elderly man loomed over him; a chubby nurse coming to stand beside the senior citizen Dean had called 'doctor'.

"De-" Sam began but his brother's name was cut off as the woman stuck a thermometer into his mouth.

Sam, unable to speak, rolled his eyes to the side to stare at his brother as the doctor took hold of his arm and wrapped it in a blood pressure cuff.

Dean grimaced and squeezed Sam's shoulder.

Once both the thermometer and cuff were removed, the doctor spoke again.

"I'm going to up the dosage of his antipyretic," the doctor explained, "Patty, keep an eye on him, would you?"

"Yes, Dr. Timmons," the nurse's voice replied.

"Get some rest, Sammy," Dean murmured, "I'll be right here."

Although Sam was reluctant to close his eyes again- Dean might disappear- a wave of exhaustion crashed over the young man and he was pulled into unconsciousness once again.

_SPN_

Dean sipped nervously on his lukewarm coffee, unable to take his eyes off his brother.

Now he was afraid to leave Sam's side, even to get more coffee, in case his sibling woke again and panicked upon finding him missing.

The older of the two nurses who had brought Sam up from recovery- Patty- appeared every fifteen minutes or so, checking her patient's blood pressure and writing it down on his chart.

Dean hoped that the new medicine Dr. Timmons prescribed would bring his brother's fever down. Appendectomies were supposed to be pretty cut-and-dry as far as operations went, weren't they? Not like brain surgery or something.

But of course, Dean should have remembered, that nothing was routine when it came to his brother.

"Ah, Sammy," Dean murmured, "Can't even have a simple stay at the hospital, can you?"

_W_

"D-De'n?"

The hunter looked up to see two green eyes peering tiredly up at him.

"Hey Sammy," Dean greeted, "How're you feeling?"

Better, he hoped.

Sam lifted one shoulder, "Am I… at the hospital?"

"Yeah," Dean informed him, repeating the explanation yet again, "Your appendix tried to kill you."

"Oh," Sam muttered mostly to himself, "That's why I was feeling like shit earlier."

Dean breathed a sigh of relief to hear his brother speaking coherently and resisted the urge to feel Sam's brow.

Sam frowned and shifted uncomfortably on the bed and Dean was instantly alert.

"You okay?" he asked, his tone concerned.

Sam nodded, "How long have I been here?"

Dean glanced down at his watch, "Almost six hours."

Sam heaved a sigh and flopped back against the hospital mattress.

"Don't get too eager to leave," Dean told him, trying to hide a smirk, "You still have a while to go until you're a free man."

Sam groaned and closed his eyes, draping an arm across his face.

_SPN_

"You sure you don't need help?" Dean asked as Sam stood shakily, one hand gripping the metal IV pole on wheels tightly.

Sam shook his head, "I'm fine, Dean."

"If you're sure," his brother replied, backing away but alert.

Sam took a few steps, his bare feet on the cold tile floor sending chills up his legs but he pressed on, it wasn't far to the bathroom and he _was not _going to use the bedpan Dean had spied moments ago and suggested he take advantage of.

Slowly Sam crossed the room, arriving at the door to the bathroom and paused, breathing heavily, his abdomen sore from the movement.

Reaching out with his free hand, the young man gripped the doorframe as he rested; feeling exhausted even though he'd only walked a few feet.

"Are you sure you don't need help?"

Sam jumped at his brother's voice right behind him.

"No, Dean," he growled, "Let me do this on my own."

"Okay…" Dean hesitated, "You just look like you're about to faint."

Sam shook his head, released his grip on the doorframe and shoved his long bangs away from his forehead.

He crossed the threshold of the bathroom and slammed the door in his brother's face, telling Dean he had better not try and barge in.

_SPN_

Dean retreated back to the bedside, waiting anxiously for his brother to emerge from the facilities.

He was glad that his brother was awake and that his fever was finally going down. He just wished he could have his clingy brother back and not this bitchy one.

Dean looked up as Patty stepped into the room, peering around for her missing patient.

"He's in the bathroom," Dean told her and she smiled, looking relieved.

"Good," she said, "He should be able to go home soon."

Dean nodded, knowing Sam would be happy to hear that.

His attention turned to the bathroom when the door eased open and Sam stood in the doorway, his face an unhealthy shade of green.

"Sammy!" Dean exclaimed and stood up, ready to run to his brother's aide.

Sam held out the hand that wasn't white-knuckling the IV pole, "M'okay, Dean. Just stood up too quickly."

Dean ignored is brother and approached, draping Sam's arm across his shoulders.

Patty, the nurse, looked alarmed but when she moved to help, Dean shook his head, "I've got him."

Slowly, the older Winchester led his sibling back to bed, helping him onto the mattress before pulling the blanket up to his brother's chin.

Once in bed, Sam's colour began to return to normal- which was of great relief to Dean- and the nurse finally approached, checking the young man's blood pressure, as she'd been about to do when she first arrived.

_W_

Dean couldn't help but smile as Sam walked out the hospital's sliding glass doors, slightly hunched over but otherwise no worse for wear.

Bright afternoon sunlight shone down on the brothers as they headed towards the Impala.

"Hold up a minute, Sam!" Dean called and his brother paused, his cheeks flushed and his breathing heavy.

"It's not like they're going to stop us and drag you back," Dean told his brother and Sam nodded.

"I know," Sam muttered. Dean smiled. He knew Sam disliked hospitals and didn't blame him but he also didn't want something to happen to land his brother into one again so soon.

Dean caught up to his sibling and put an arm over his shoulders, "Why don't you lie down in the back for a bit?"

Sam opened his mouth, perhaps to argue and tell his brother that he was fine, but then nodded.

"Sure, Dean."

Once the brothers were settled, Sam curled up on the Impala's bench seat and Dean behind the wheel, they headed out of the parking lot, ready to make one quick stop at the motel to grab their stuff and check out before hitting the road again.

Dean didn't say anything but he had a destination in mind; they hadn't been to Bobby's in a while and with Dr. Timmons' warning to take it easy for the next two or three weeks, the older Winchester couldn't think of a better place to crash while Sam recuperated.

The older sibling smiled to himself and even turned down the volume on the radio so that Sam could get some much-needed rest during the drive to Sioux Falls.

**Author's Note:**

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